Columbia’s New Drug Barons Plan for Medical Marijuana

Colombia is working on making a name for itself in the medical marijuana industry. Drug Baron Federico Cock-Correa wants to make Colombia’s medical marijuana industry a global industry. There are many large, open spaces that would make ideal growing grounds for marijuana plants.

The Colombian government has given the drug baron a “stamp of approval” regarding his plans to grow mass amounts of medical marijuana, The New York Times reports. The laws regarding medical marijuana in Colombia seem a bit more lenient than those in the U.S. do as President Juan Manuel Santos approved laws to allow for commercial cultivation, processing, and exportation of medical marijuana oils/creams.

Federico Cock-Correa said, “It’s health; it’s science; it’s the opportunity to redeem the name of the country. It’s a shift from producing the plant that kills to producing the plant that cures.”

Colombia’s health minister, Alejandro Gaviria, said, “We think that Colombia can build a successful international business around the exportation of medical marijuana. The country is ready to participate in this emerging global market.”

License to manufacture marijuana products was approved by PharmaCielo. Cultivation licenses have not been issued yet.

PharmaCielo backer Anthony Wile says, “Ultimately, this has the ability to be a global marketplace measured in the billions.”

The initial grow space in Colombia will be 32-acres. The way that PharmaCielo plans to operate will allow them to produce marijuana for about 5-cents per gram, which is 1/10 of what it costs in the United States.

COO at PharmaCielo Colombia Marcelo Siqueira said, “Our growth comes from sunshine.” Colombia is known for its flower production and wild growing flowers, making the soil and climate ideal for marijuana plant growth nearly year round.

When looking at his plot, Cock-Correa said, “All of this will be cannabis within a year.”